We have a new section that features the following helpful tutorials to aid you on your quest to vanquish the elite challenges. Each tutorial is a custom race that shows you how precisely to drive the optimal route between locations. You can add any race to your online experience by going to Social Club via the provided link and bookmarking it.

In April 2015 I made a thread on GTA Forums entitled “Complete Guide to the Elite Challenges.” At the time, I posted the best strategies I knew to help anyone complete these challenges. However, nearly a year later, times have changed. Many excellent strategies have been developed and changes in the game have opened new possibilities. I hope to elaborate on these new tactics that will help people pass the challenges more easily and go for insanely fast times.

Please note, I do not claim to be the greatest player or fastest player by any means. I once held records for some heists, per the leaderboard thread, but my times have since been eclipsed. Since then, I have learned a lot from some excellent friends who’ve shared their insights with me. I want to pass those insights onto you. Thus, I do not consider this guide to be my guide, but rather a joint effort between myself and other players who have tackled the elite challenges. In light of this fact, I obtained permission from Oleg, MadMaxxx123, and Slyferfox (some of the fastest speedrunners) to share their world record elite challenge run videos.

As a reminder, completion of all five challenges will net you two t-shirts. The first shirt depicts five tally marks, and the second shirt says "I beat every elite challenge" on the front and "all I got was this lousy shirt" on the back.

Before looking at each heist in detail, let me remind everyone of the requirements needed to pass each challenge.

Elite Challenge Objectives

Fleeca - Finish in under 5:20, take 6% or less damage to heist vehicle, and don't die

Prison Break - Extract Rashkovsky in under 4:40, 1% or less damage to Rashkovsky, and don't die

Humane Labs- Finish in under 11 minutes, take 2% or less vehicle damage, and don't die

Series A - Finish in under 6:30, achieve at least 75 kills, and don't die

Pacific Standard - Finish before 10:15, do not alert NOOSE, and don't die

Additionally, you may NOT quick restart, as this immediately voids any possibility of beating the challenge.

When I first attempted to complete the elite challenges, I found some of them to be rather difficult. I look back now with chagrin knowing how easy these challenges are to beat with the right team. If you are new to elite challenges, please keep in mind that when you begin you may get frustrated. You will need skill, coordination, patience, and even some luck on your side. However, I believe anyone can do these challenges with sufficient practice. Don’t give up! The next section details “general strategies” that are broadly applicable to GTA and will speed up your times in most settings. Afterwards, each heist is dissected in detail with attention to specific roles and different methods.

General Strategies

Please note that some strategies may be viewed by some players as unethical due to departure from the way the developers presumably intended the heist to be played. I would never endorse cheating or hacking of any sort. No one likes cheaters. Whether or not you are willing to use simple glitches such as getting in the Kuruma without opening the door depends on your own judgment and comfort level. For the sake of completeness, these techniques will be included below.

1) Purchase the high-end apartments/houses that will result in the shortest drive to the first objective. Specifically, I recommend Alta Street or Integrity Way for Fleeca, Conker for Prison Break and Humane Labs, Integrity Way for Series A, and Integrity Way for Pacific Standard.

2) Dress appropriately – the heavy vest gives you added protection but slows your movement on land and through water. If you are going for record times, you will of course want to choose speed over protection. If you just want to complete the challenges, the heavy vest can be useful.

For the sake of simple completion, I recommend wearing the heavy vest for the ground team members on Humane Labs, all players on Series A, and all players on Pacific Standard. Please note that on Humane Labs, once the ground team reaches the cooling tunnel, the heavy vest can be removed by equipping a scarf – this will allow you to swim quickly. You do not need a heavy vest period for Fleeca and it cannot be used on Prison Break.

3) Purchase an Akuma motorcycle and fully upgrade it; ALWAYS start the mission with the Akuma as your set vehicle - getting to checkpoints ASAP is mandatory; in case you don't want to follow my advice let me just tell you straight up a T20 is NOT optimal no matter how much of a good driver you think you are. Get an Akuma, just do it already.

I highly recommend that the entire team shares vehicle access with everyone else. This way you can just jump on the closest bike without having to worry about finding yours. You'll save a few seconds. Also, you may want to assign each player an order regarding which bike to take. Example: player 1 takes first bike, player 2 takes second bike, player 3 takes third bike, player 4 takes fourth bike, regardless of who owns which vehicle.

4) Find a good team - players should be able to communicate with mics and players should be dedicated and prepared for many attempts; this is VERY important; assemble the best team possible that is willing to put in the time for the challenges; don't even waste time playing with newbs/scrubs/randoms/flakes who will falter when the going gets tough.

5) Drive fast - use what you have learned from racing and doing time trials. This includes wheeling on the bike, using curb boosts, staying on road and avoiding bumps/grass/dirt/dividers that slow you down, driving as much as possible in straight lines, and taking turns properly. Learn the fastest, most optimal routes, including which shortcuts to take.

6) Run fast - who knew this matters? Well, it may be common knowledge, but when you are wearing the heavy vest only, you can move faster by running and jumping simultaneously. This means, on PS4, pressing square and x simultaneously and the equivalent on xbox and PC.

7) Use custom races to practice the routes you must go, especially for Humane Labs and Pac Standard; you can make your own if you like [Update: return to beginning of the guide to see a directory of practice races]

8) Don't be a glory hog - you are only as strong as the weakest member of the crew. Do not pursue achievement of your objectives at the expense of a teammate; for example, during Humane Labs, the pilot should reach the Valkyrie first; you only hurt your team if you try to pass or ram them; if you arrive at a checkpoint first and need to enter a vehicle, get in the furthest door so your teammates who arrive after you can get in quicker.

9) Use snacks and armor and keep the inventory open during drives. Most of the time using snacks or putting on armor makes too much of a delay; however, these items can be used instantaneously while driving. This could be particularly useful for driving during Series A and Pacific Standard. Pro tip: you can use snacks while running on foot if you reconfigure your controller to run by pressing down the joystick.

10) Seconds matter - fight for every second and don't let anything go. The little stuff matters and adds up to be important as the big stuff. As an example, when you have to enter the key cards simultaneously don't count down from 3; just turn the card as soon as you see both players are in the correct position.

11) Manage talent wisely - maximize your strengths and minimize weaknesses. Early on I noticed my friend was driving a bit faster than I on the Series A finale. I moved myself to the gun emplacement on the Technical and put another guy in charge of transporting the drugs; everything worked out great after that.

12) Use a timer - if you are timing yourself and you see that you went past the time limit you can intentionally fail or leave the heist. If you are trying to pass the elite challenge you definitely do not want to finish with a time over par, as this means you will have to repeat all setups. Watch heist videos and set benchmark times that you aim to hit as you play through, example - enter key cards at or before 6 minutes on Humane Labs.

13) You can play on normal or hard difficulty and still complete the elite challenge; however, you cannot do them on easy. I recommend playing on hard difficulty – it’s just more fun and pays more!

Disagree with my strategies? Post a comment or PM me and let me know what’s up. I would love to incorporate feedback from as many people as possible.

Specific Strategies

Fleeca

Objectives:

-Finish in under 5:20

-Take 6% or less damage to armored Kuruma

-Don't die

Apartment: Alta/Integrity

Vehicle: Akuma motorcycle (max upgrades)

Outfit: Loose cotton fabrics, no heavy vest, any mask

This is the only two player heist. One of you fills the role of "driver" and the other serves as the "driller." You should launch this heist from one of the high-end apartments on Alta street or Integrity Way. Both players should set the starting vehicle to a fully upgraded akuma motorcycle. Once the heist launches, drive as quickly as possible to Lester's warehouse and get inside the Kuruma armored car. You can do this a couple ways - by driving on the bridge that spans the LS river, or going on the path to the right of the bridge and jumping into and out of the LS river. Once inside the car save time by both of you immediately equipping a mask.

Graphic 1: cut through the LS river

Driver - drive as quickly as possible to the Fleeca bank without crashing. When you get to the bank, put on a mask if not already done, walk inside, and shoot all four security cameras. Now control the crowd by shifting your aiming reticule from hostage to hostage and occasionally firing shots into the air if needed. You should go back outside and park the Kuruma inside the bank with the rear facing the tellers. You can control the crowd while shooting from your car if you like. After the driller gets the safety deposit box and gets in the Kuruma, make a beeline for Toh's cargobob. You must circumvent three police roadblocks. Go around the first two on the left side rather than trying to smash through the middle. For the last road block just drive straight through by slamming against the rear of the right most police car. Fly directly towards Toh's cargobob. Stay under the magnet. This part can be tricky and luck-based, as sometimes the helicopter won't be in the right position and may take inexplicably long to grab your car.

Driller - this player serves as both hacker and driller. Once you are sitting in the Kuruma's passenger seat, a prompt will come up telling you to hack into the bank's network. Press x immediately to begin the hack. Use the d-pad to change the direction of the line so you don't hit any obstacles. On the second hack screen, there is a shortcut that you should take. It is a bit riskier, but worthwhile. You really can't afford to mess this up even once. The hack should finish just before the driver reaches the bank. Open the vault with your phone and go to the safety deposit box. Begin the drill and quickly move through the pins. If you press too hard the drill will overheat, but if you press too lightly you won't cut through fast enough. You must strike a precise balance of moving L3 up to get good contact. You want to see sparks flying and keep the drill bit from turning red. As you go gradually move L3 forward. Once you have the bonds, run and get into the Kuruma.

Graphic 6: Shortcut during the hack (screen 2)

Graphic 7: Drilling the vault

Benchmark Times:

2:45 arrive bank and finish hack

4:10 leave bank

-Fleeca World Record Run - Oleg_Aka_Djmeg, DennisOne (4:49, PC)

Prison Break

Objectives:

-Extract Rashkovsky in under 4:40

-Prevent Rashkovsky from taking damage

-Don’t die

Apartment: Any will work but Integrity way or Conker recommended

Vehicle: Akuma motorcycle (max upgrades)

Outfit: You must use mission-specific attire

You have a time limit of 4:40 to evacuate Rashkovsky. The timer begins when you trigger the cutscene in the prison yard, and ends when you parachute out of the Velum. Unfortunately, several players have reported a glitch that renders escaping the police impossible. You can start at pretty much any apartment for this heist and choice of vehicle is less important than for the other heists.

Prison Guard - Drive as quickly as possible to the prison bus. Get inside the bus and drive to the prison. Go through the gates and park. Get out and immediately kill the two guards standing near you. After the guard near the ladder and on the one on the catwalk are neutralized, you should drop a rifle and ammo for the prisoner if not already done. Start moving through the prison until you get to Rashkovsky, but do not trigger the cutscene yet. Wait for the demolitions guy to arrive at the prison in the buzzard. When he's in position, move in to Rashkovsky. You will then move through the prison putting down enemies as quickly as possible. When you are at the exit, grab the riot van and wait for the prisoner and Rashkovsky to get inside. Drive out of the prison and park behind the velum, which should be waiting for you. Your part is done. All you have left to do is jump out of the plane, land, and get in the buzzard.

Graphic 1: Dropping a rifle for the prisoner

Prisoner - Also drive as quickly as possible to the bus. Hop aboard and wait until the bus is parked inside the prison. Lay waste to your enemies. As with the prison guard, avoid triggering the cinematic until the buzzard is in position. Help your teammate clear out the noose and security forces. Babysit Rashkovsky once you are close to the end. You need to keep him moving in order to beat the time objective, so be standing nearby when the last enemy in the prison is killed. Hop in the riot van (front passenger seat) and he should follow into the rear of the van. All you have to do now is get in the plane, parachute out, and get in the helicopter.

Demolitions - Torch the prison bus at the airstrip. Get in the buzzard and fly to the prison; you want to be on the edge and not directly over the prison as you will be shot down otherwise. Once the cinematic plays, begin firing missiles at the enemies inside the prison. Kill as many as you can to help your guys on the ground. You will need to hover on the edge of the prison and move along the circumference to kill new enemies that spawn. Once the rest of your team is inside the Velum, shoot down any nearby choppers to facilitate their escape from the police. Eventually they will jump out and you can pick them up to finish the heist.

Graphic 2: Using the buzzard to shoot enemies inside the prison

Pilot - Quickly make your way to LSIA and get in the plane. Take off from the hanger and land the plane near the Vinewood sign. When there are 30 seconds left on the timer, or they have already gotten Rashkovsky, take off again and prepare to pick up your teammates. Land on the dirt road that encircles the prison (the criminal records race track). If your team is fast you can finish without worrying about the jets, but obviously if there are still jets you will need to avoid getting hit. Collect your guys and fly to the yellow marker. Avoid enemy choppers by looking out for cones of detection on your minimap. You must evade them quickly in order to get the time objective.

Graphic 3: Waiting with the plane at the Vinewood Sign

Graphic 4: Landing the plane near the prison

Once Rashkovsky takes control of the plane, the elite challenge timer stops. There is no need to rush at this point, so carefully jump out of the helicopter taking care to land on the beach without slamming into the cliff face or failing to open your chute. Take care to avoid the blades of the buzzard, and likewise buzzard pilot take care not to chop any teammates.

Graphic 5: Nice day for a jump!

Advanced tip:

You can actually get two motorcycles inside the prison, allowing you to drive Rashkovksy directly to the plane without waiting for him to walk on foot. The prisoner drives the bike of the prison guard and parks the bike outside the first security booth at the entrance of the prison. The prison guard drives the bike of the prisoner. Once the guard gets in the prison bus, the prisoner calls and has his personal vehicle delivered, which should now also be parked outside the security booth. Once the prison bus is outside the prison, the prisoner hops inside and the bus goes inside as per usual. Once you leave the bus, kill any guards in your way and run outside the prison and hop on the bikes. Drive the bikes inside the prison. Blow open the fence or drive through the tiny door in the fence. Drive around the prison and park the bikes at the base of the staircase where you gain control of Rashkovsky. Once Rashkovsky is following you, hop on a bike and he will ride on the back. Now drive both bikes to your pilot who has now landed. Get in and off you go!

Graphic 5: Parking the two bikes outside the prison entrance

Graphic 6: Taking the bikes through the gap in the fence

Graphic 7: Where to park the bikes inside the prison

Graphic 8: Leaving the prison with Rashkovsky

Benchmark Times:

2:20 – Pilot lands outside prison for extraction of the prisoner and ground team

Outfit: Loose cotton fabrics, no heavy vest (if necessary ground team can use the heavy vest and remove it by equipping a scarf when needing to swim)

All players start out the heist the same way. In days of old Integrity Way was the ideal starting location, but with the introduction of stilt houses the homes on North Conker Ave are quite a bit closer. Everyone should set their starting vehicle to a fully modified akuma, and share vehicle access with all members of the team. Grab your designated/closest motorcycle and make a beeline for the Valkyrie helicopter. Wheelie on the bike to go faster. The route you must take is not the same as the route shown on your minimap. I recommend watching a video or doing one of the pre-made races to learn the optimal route. You will want to go offroad through the trench and tunnel and use the stunt jump north of the Alamo Sea. When you are near the helicopter make sure you slow down adequately so you don't overshoot it and fly into the water. The first two drivers to reach the Valkyrie should sit down on the right side, and leave the left door open for the last person to arrive. It may seem trivial but seconds do matter. Obviously the pilot has to fly the thing, so he should be the fastest to reach the Valkyrie and have the engine revved and ready to go.

Graphic 1: Map with highlighted route from North Conker Ave to the Valkyrie

Pilot - Try to reach the Valkyrie first so you'll be ready to take off once everyone's aboard. Fly directly to the yellow marker above Humane Labs. Gain altitude while moving forward so that you are moving in a steady line. Once the ground team and gunner jump out of the helicopter, go land on the beach where the ground team will emerge from the cooling tunnel. Enemy helicopters may come near you; shoot them down with the heavy sniper if far away or minigun/homing launcher if near. Wait for the signal from the ground team that they are near the beach, and get in the heli and prepare to take off. Start flying immediately, keeping low to the ground, and land near the gunner. In general you are less likely to be hit if you are below the enemy helicopters, and can try swerving to avoid the missiles. If you do this right, you won't take any damage. In my experience getting hit even once results in too much damage to pass the challenge. After the enemy choppers are destroyed, the gunner will get in and you can fly to the final checkpoint at the dam. You want to skim the ground as you approach the checkpoint and not slow down for a proper landing; just sort of fly fast and make contact with the ground at the appropriate point. While flying both to the labs and the dam, instruct the passengers manning the miniguns to fire the guns backward; the recoil should speed you up slightly.

Graphic 2: Where to land the helicopter to extract ground team

Graphic 3: Staying below enemy helicopters

Graphic 4: Shooting miniguns backwards

Gunner - Upon reaching the yellow marker, jump out alongside the ground team and land on a nearby mountain south of the labs - it's a high peak about midway between the labs and the quarry. Shoot down enemy choppers that go near your position with the heavy sniper or minigun/homing launcher. You can "spawn kill" at least one of the helicopters that appears at a certain point. Once the pilot and ground team land next to you, work quickly to take out all the enemy choppers. Get inside the Valkyrie and you're done.

[Note: I need more information on the timing/location of this helicopter that the gunner needs to shoot down]

Graphic 5: Where to stand on the mountain as the gunner

Ground Team (two players) - Once the pilot reaches the yellow marker over the labs, jump out of the heli and fall rapidly towards the ground. Wait until close to the ground to open your parachute, and land gently in front of the doors to the lab. Once landed night vision will turn on; use a rocket launcher to blow up the control panel. Run inside with the assault shotgun equipped, killing everyone in your path while moving quickly. One of you can fire a rocket or two down the loading bay and kill a couple guards. If you get low on health let your buddy go in front and vice versa. You should reach the keycard slots at a benchmark time of 6 minutes or before. As soon as you see both of you are in position with the key cards - holding the cards ready to insert - immediately enter the cards without using a countdown (this will save a couple seconds). Don't get confused by the layout of the lab; quickly enter the elevator. Kill three more guards then dive into the water. Swim down in a spiral to reach the entrance to the tunnel quickly. Keep night vision on until you run out of oxygen, then use the D-pad to equip a rebreather. Swim out and get in the helicopter waiting for you on the beach. Depending on timing you may see two enemy helicopters nearby once you reach the beach. Take them out using the minigun or homing launcher. If you are sufficiently fast, you can reach the valkyrie before these helicopters arrive, in which case you can get in immediately and the pilot can takeoff.

Graphic 7: Turn the keycards (oops we left one alive!)

Graphic 8: Equip a scarf if you're wearing a heavy vest

Coming Soon

Alternative strategy:

Pickup near YouTool and using bikes inside of Humane Labs

Graphic 9: Where to stand to be picked up

Graphic 10: Where to park the bikes at the labs

Advanced tip:

Going to the dam as the gunner

Graphic 11: Route taken by the gunner to reach dam reservoir

Graphic 12: Where gunner stands at the reservoir to shoot down choppers

This heist should be launched from the Integrity Way apartments. Again, everyone should use an Akuma motorcycle. The two players assigned to the north side of the warehouse should grab the bikes in the first two positions. You want to navigate the derelict train cars carefully and maneuver into position at the north side, with one of you stopping briefly next to Trevor and hitting the yellow marker. The two persons assigned to the south side grab the other two bikes and follow you into their designated location. Once all 4 players are in the right places, this will trigger the enemies to attack.

Graphic 1: Map with highlighted route from Integrity Way to the Warehouse

Graphic 2: Going through the train cars

A series of enemies from the factions you robbed will begin to attack you. I recommend learning the timing and location of the order in which enemies spawn. You can then deploy proximity mines to kill the enemies as soon as they appear. Those on the north side will first see two vans coming down the dirt road. You can use your rocket launchers to annihilate them quickly from a distance. On the south side, some enemies will spawn in the LS River (the concrete channel) and you can spawn kill these. The faster you kill enemies the better, as this will enable you to leave the warehouse sooner. The last enemy you need to kill is a Lost van and motorcycle coming from the north. When I see this van coming, I tell my teammates they can now get in their respective vehicles and prepare to depart. I will finish off this enemy with a rocket or 2, and we are ready to go. Make sure you are in your vehicle ASAP and able to leave the warehouse. A few stray enemies may be left, but you don't need to waste time to kill them. Get in and go!

Graphic 3: Throwing mines to spawn kill enemies

Two of you will drive the trucks loaded with drugs, one of you will drive the technical, and one of you will use the gun mounted on the technical.

Technical driver and gunner -Your best free aim player should serve as gunner. You need at least 75 kills. Most of these kills will come from the gunner, but of course the other three players can help kill enemies using either the AP pistol or sticky bombs while driving. Also, drivers can run over any bikers who've fallen onto the ground, but avoid hitting the bikes if possible. Firstly, the gunner needs to kill the 4 helicopters that chase after you upon leaving the warehouse. The Technical's gun is very strong so this is easy to do. Next you will encounter several baller cars starting at the turn off to the dam. Take these out as you go. Eventually the Lost will start coming after you, and these will make up the bulk of your kills. Watch out for guys on bikes and one guy standing on a bridge, but prioritize destroying the Lost slam vans. These vehicles carry a lot of guys inside, so blowing up one will net you several kills towards your goal. Eventually, after the vans turn onto a dirt road headed towards the lighthouse, and no more enemies will chase them. Therefore, you should stop early and not follow the vans. Stay by the train tracks and kill as many Lost as possible - don't leave any survivors! As far as the driver of the Technical goes, try to position yourself slightly behind the second truck and help the gunner get nice steady angles to kill the guys. Don't fall behind or deviate from the route until the end, because you will miss the guys that spawn near the trucks that you need to kill.

Graphic 4: Waiting with the Technical in order to kill the remaining Lost gang members

Truck drivers -The drivers need to prioritize speed. The first step, as mentioned, is to get in the trucks and leave the warehouse ASAP. Drive fast by not hitting any traffic or road barriers. You can help kill enemies, but focus first on your driving. You want to follow the highlighted route until you enter Grapeseed. You will see a flat bed truck trailer on you right alongside a dirt road paralleling the highway. You want to get on this dirt road and follow it to the lighthouse. There is a tight turn across a little bridge right before you reach the lighthouse. Make sure you slowdown so you don't crash and fall into the ravine. You may be shot by the enemies while driving. One remedy is to keep the snacks/armor tab open and liberally restore your health as you take damage. If you find that using snacks is inconvenient or distracting, you can instead wear the heavy vest. This may slow you down a few seconds completing the rest of the heist, but it's still possible to finish under the par time. You must decide the best approach for your team.

Graphic 5: Map with highlighted route from warehouse to the lighthouse/buyer

Graphic 6: Deviation off-road to reach the buyer

Tip: Move the Technical into a position that you can use the gun to kill the guys attacking the warehouse; only one person is needed to do this

Graphic 7: Parking the Technical to use to shoot enemies

Tip: Press R3 to look behind you and L1 to aim to turn the gun around quickly while driving, you'll have a better shot at killing more enemies (submitted by Stang0ne50)

Coming Soon

Advanced tip:

Leaving the Technical behind and standing on the trucks

Graphic 8: Standing on the truck as gunners (no Technical)

Benchmark Times:

0:32 – Arrive Trevor’s warehouse

2:20 – Finish killing the enemies and depart warehouse in the 2 trucks and Technical

-Series A World Record Run - SlyferFox, Groppler, Quinten_95, Dziurka26 (5:40, PS4)

Choose Eclipse Towers for your starting location. Although the drive at the beginning is short, use akuma motorcycles to save as much time as possible. The first person to arrive should trigger the yellow marker, while the other 3 go directly to the bank entrance.

Later on, don't worry about losing money, if you are just trying to complete the elite challenges. If you are losing money just press on and get to the end.

Crowd Control (2 players) - Once inside the bank you are responsible for subduing the security guards. You can pistol whip the two at the entrance, allowing demo to run in and plant the first charge without slowing down. You must keep the intimidation meter high in order to maintain control of the crowd. The best way to do this is to equip an RPG. You do not need to aim the RPG and of course do not actually fire a rocket. Just hold the rocket while standing in the center of the bank. The other crowd control person can take responsibility for shooting the four guards that come down the stair case to harass you. You must not kill a hostage, or let the intimidation meter fall. Either scenario may result in NOOSE being called, which automatically fails the challenge.

Graphic 1: Standing in the bank holding an RPG

Demolition - Once inside the bank head straight away to the first locked door and plant a thermal charge. As soon as this door opens, plant a charge on the second locked door. As soon as it opens, run down the stairs and kill the two guards with your assault shotgun. After the hacker opens the vault, a third locked door must be fitted with a thermal charge. After this door opens, you will have direct access to the money.

Graphic 2: Planting a thermal charge

Hacker - Simply wait for the second locked door to be opened by demolitions. Then, run down the stairs into the vault area. Run immediately to the control panel and initiate the hack. You must use "brute force" program and select the highlighted letters. You can do the letters out of order but it's easier just to move from left to right. Once the vault is opened, demo can take care of a final locked door. Now run inside to get the moolah.

Graphic 3: Hacking "brute force"

Hacker and demo collect the money simultaneously. You must grab all the money and the rate at which you pick up the money is the same regardless of difficulty. There are two piles of cash inside the vault; decide before hand which pile will be picked up by whom. Once you have it all, run to the bank entrance and meet up with crowd control. This will trigger a cutscene as you prepare to leave the bank.

Tip: After the alarm is triggered upon collecting the money, the crowd control can shoot any hostages in the path of the hacker and demo team. There is one woman in particular who can be an obstacle jumping over and slowing you down a second, but if she's dead she won't obstruct anyone. [Tip submitted by Mike_read]

All Players - Upon exiting the bank you will see several police cars arrayed around the entrance. You can use rocket launchers to blow up some of these cars if you want, but I recommend that you just ignore them and run past. Don't worry, you won't die, especially if you are using the heavy vest. I have heard but cannot confirm that if you run in first person you take less damage. You want to go down the alley as per usual, but soon after veer to your right. You can jump off a series of ledges into another little back alley. You may have to move around a bit to trigger the checkpoints - you can get a feel for this with practice. The route is shorter and you will avoid most of the police. Keep running across the street into another alley. Shoot the police cars in your way with the RPG if you want. Head straight to the lectros without stopping to pickup armor.

Graphic 4: Jumping over the ledges while heading to the Lectros

As soon as you get on your bike, head towards the boat in the canyon. Do not follow your GPS, as you can go a quicker route. This path is hard to describe, so I recommend watching a video. You can go offroad and drive down a a trench and through a tunnel to save time. When you reach the railroad tracks near the Lost trailers, get on them and ride the rail until you reach the creek. There is a small opening where the rail tunnel ends, and you can steer your bike through this aperture down on the dirt road that follows the creek. Be wary as you head to the boats - there are many police and they are often unpredictable. If you fall off your bike get back on ASAP. As always snacks and armor can be applied instantaneously while in or on a vehicle, but you shouldn't need them if you wear the heavy vest. Save the KERS boost for any dangerous situations you want to escape quickly, or to get back to speed after crashing the bike. There is no parachute required using this method.

This method is sufficient for completing the elite challenge. However, if you want to set a blazing fast time, I will also mention a couple "advanced" techniques passed onto me by a very talented GTA player. This method does not use the heavy vest, and the bikes follow an alternative route that involves parachuting.

Ghost XB

That one LTS Update bike that no one can pronounce is faster than the Akuma though.

Bikes also have 0 player protection, and protection is very useful in setups like Pac Stan - Bikes.

But Anyways

I'll go second.

1) Console: XB360

2) Gamer Tag/ID: TH3SHR3DD3RFX

3) Availability/time zone: Pretty much any time, EST

4) How many players you need: I want to join a heist crew

5) Preference to be leader or crew or either and % cut you will accept: I don't care

6) If you have microphone: Yes

7) Preferred language: English

8) Rank: 181

9) Any specific skills you possess or roles that you want: I have a very particular set of skills. Skills that I have aqquired over a very long carrer. Skills that would make me a nightmare for someone like you. I will find you. And I will kill you.

Bout it. Thanks for watching! Also, you should make like 4 different threads for the 4 consoles.

JustSomeBunny

That one LTS Update bike that no one can pronounce is faster than the Akuma though.

Bikes also have 0 player protection, and protection is very useful in setups like Pac Stan - Bikes.

But Anyways

Thanks for being first to chime in. I would love to play with you if I had xbox. The akuma is only recommended for the heist finale itself, and only for driving from Eclipse Towers to the Bank (or other apartment to destination depending on heist). It might save only a few seconds off your time, but seconds count. I imagine the Hokachou and Bati would be acceptable as well.

troysayshi

Ok thing is I want it to be fun first and foremost and all this what to do just takes all that away. I've played since day one so have some idea what's going on and what really gets to me are these people you meet that keep telling you what to do every second.

Of course I haven't a clue and yes I'm being sarcastic.

This idea of purchasing various apartments for various heists is a bit of a stretch too far. If I was hosting I'd give due consideration to which apartment I start it from but that's as far as I'd go on that one.

Of course I consider myself reasonably competent but as always and like I implied in another thread they are always variables.

ash-274

1) PS3
2) ash-274
3) Mornings, Pacific Time (7 days/week)
4) Any?
5) I can host or join. Goal is the EC's, so money can be minimal
6) No mic, but I use the PSN app to text quickly
7) English
8) 231 (with a 136 other character)
9) I'm a better pilot than driver or gunfighter

There are actually two EC shirts: one just has the hashmarks and the other has the logo you show on the front and "...and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" on the back

JustSomeBunny

1) PS3
2) ash-274
3) Mornings, Pacific Time (7 days/week)
4) Any?
5) I can host or join. Goal is the EC's, so money can be minimal
6) No mic, but I use the PSN app to text quickly
7) English
8) 231 (with a 136 other character)
9) I'm a better pilot than driver or gunfighter

There are actually two EC shirts: one just has the hashmarks and the other has the logo you show on the front and "...and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" on the back

Trickser853

1) Xbox One
2) Shadow Fluxes
3) Most of the time
4) First I'm just trying to find people who want to do it because thats the first goal
5) Dont care at all - Just want the shirts
6) Yes, but I dont talk much
7) English or German
8) 184 but since that doesnt describe my skill I'm just gonna say I'm competent
9) Dont really know - I played all of them

StangOne50

Finally we get the time under 11 minutes on humane labs, but enemy helicopters hit us with missiles. Does anyone know good way not take damage from helicopter missiles?

When the first batch of helis come I think you can land and shoot them down with homing missles, Not sure about after when everyone is in the valkerie. Also having your best free aimer(gunner) in the front seat. I think that cannon is stronger than the side miniguns.

JustSomeBunny

Hey Twista, very good to have you on board. Lately I have been dedicated to beating humane labs challenge. Very hard, 200 tries estimated, time now less than 11 minutes but enemy helicopter shoot missile at us. Still trying to figure this out.

DoubleDropUk

1) PS3
2) ash-274
3) Mornings, Pacific Time (7 days/week)
4) Any?
5) I can host or join. Goal is the EC's, so money can be minimal
6) No mic, but I use the PSN app to text quickly
7) English
8) 231 (with a 136 other character)
9) I'm a better pilot than driver or gunfighter

Robomate

1) PS4
2) PSN: robomate
3) TBA
4) Three
5) whatever is fair
6) Yes
7) English
8) 282
9) Jack of all trades driving is my weakest but still consider myself decent. I've also completed criminal mastermind, and another perspective, escaped with 1.25m on Pacific heist been playing on and off since launch.

StangOne50

Humane Labs was completed yesterday finally. Only 1 challenge left for me: Series A (post below or message me if interested).

Also, my friend who helped me beat the challenge for Pac Standard glitched out at the end and did not get the achievement. Therefore, we also looking for 2 good people to replay Pac Standard and get the achievement for him.

Anyone who helps us will be first in line for us to help you with any heist related awards you are trying to do. Thanks!

JustSomeBunny

Humane Labs was completed yesterday finally. Only 1 challenge left for me: Series A (post below or message me if interested).

Also, my friend who helped me beat the challenge for Pac Standard glitched out at the end and did not get the achievement. Therefore, we also looking for 2 good people to replay Pac Standard and get the achievement for him.

Anyone who helps us will be first in line for us to help you with any heist related awards you are trying to do. Thanks!

Did you guys use the heli for pacific?

No we did not. We were under the impression that the heli was patched out of Pac Standard. Whether we were right or not I don't know, but we took Lectros. I can post the exact route we took later today.

JustSomeBunny

I finished the guide. Last 2 videos should be uploaded soon. Hope you guys find this information helpful. Please let me know if you have feedback or suggestions about the guide, or additional tips/strategies for completing the elite challenges. Thank you!

DaTwista

Well I have attempted both Fleeca bank and prison break heist elite challenges already.

Fleeca bank, driver had two crashes, one before and one after the Fleeca bank visit and we completed it in 5:26 (6 seconds late) - so this one is very doable without much hassle.

Prison Break, it seems luck plays an important part on this when landing the plane on the road outside the prison (Hoping no cops spawn here and then losing the cops. Our time was 4:45 (5 seconds too late) and that was due to that idiot not running properly and wasting time getting into the Velum.

EKGene

Second, a question or two about the quoted portion of your initial post.

Assuming that the pictures of the GTAO character with the Elite Challenge reward t-shirts are of your own personal character in GTAO, was it your intention to create the online version of the actor, Sarah Chalke (of Scrubs fame)?

Also, your Leaderboard listing for the Fleeca Bank Heist... and the other heists, for that matter... who were your teammates?

Wouldn't it be proper to give them some... uh, props?

Unless those times are you going at it solo with multiple consoles... if so, some additional tips would be to have a dedicated display for each working console, and if you own a pet dog, take that dog out before endeavoring in heist Elite Challenges.

For the Fleeca Bank Heist, solo, with two consoles hooked up to the same display (so, a multitude of input source switching), and a dog that was fixated on chasing a squirrel that he had just clocked out the window, I managed a garbage time of 8:53.

Second, a question or two about the quoted portion of your initial post.

Assuming that the pictures of the GTAO character with the Elite Challenge reward t-shirts are of your own personal character in GTAO, was it your intention to create the online version of the actor, Sarah Chalke (of Scrubs fame)?

Also, your Leaderboard listing for the Fleeca Bank Heist... and the other heists, for that matter... who were your teammates?

Wouldn't it be proper to give them some... uh, props?

Unless those times are you going at it solo with multiple consoles... if so, some additional tips would be to have a dedicated display for each working console, and if you own a pet dog, take that dog out before endeavoring in heist Elite Challenges.

For the Fleeca Bank Heist, solo, with two consoles hooked up to the same display (so, a multitude of input source switching), and a dog that was fixated on chasing a squirrel that he had just clocked out the window, I managed a garbage time of 8:53.

I definitely want to give credit to those who helped me. Thanks for your suggestion. I will look into revising the format.

The idiot whom you need to fetch is an idiot. He runs all over the place and it's more luck he does what you want him to do in order to actually complete this challenge. Other than that, it is an easy challenge - the idiot is the problem making it harder than it needs to be.